FOREST FIRES 



In fact plants are not absolutely confined to one rigid 

 scheme, but they can alter and modify their blooming time 

 if they find it convenient to do so. In the Mediterranean 

 some blossom in early spring and others in late autumn, 

 whilst in the dry, hot, and dusty summer very few flower. 



In Central Africa during the dry season forest fires are by 

 no means rare. The trees are scattered, and the ground is 

 only covered by dried and withered grasses and sedges. One 

 sees in the distance a rolling cloud of smoke, and soon one 

 comes to a line of flame. It is not dangerous, not even very 

 impressive, for a jump of three feet carries you over the 

 flame and on to a desolate wilderness of black cinders, out of 

 which stand up the scorched trunks and half-burnt branches 

 of gaunt, naked trees. A day or two afterwards, bright blue 

 and white and yellow flowers break out of those scorched 

 branches and also from the ground. 



It is difficult to understand why this happens, but cer- 

 tainly it is good for the flowers, which can be seen by insects 

 from a long distance. 



But these are unusual cases. Generally the warm breath 

 of spring wakes up the bulbs and buds, and one after another 

 has its moment of flowering. 



Spring travels towards the North Pole at an average rate 

 of four miles a day. 



A pedestrian visiting Italy in the end of January might 

 follow the spring northwards, and if he wished to accompany 

 it all the way, it would be quite possible to do so without 

 exceeding an ordinary day's march. He would have to 

 reach North Germany by the end of March, Sweden in May, 

 and by the end of June and July would find spring begin- 

 ning in the desolate Arctic regions. 



Of course the presence of mountains would make this tour 



lOI 



